According to the New Mexico News Network, New Mexico chili harvest was good, but crop harvest has been limited due to being unable to find labor to handpick crops in southern New Mexico. Even with wages of $14 an hour, chili farmers can’t find enough help to harvest their crops. Ted Robbins, NPR News, reports that the US Agriculture industry is trying to find more reliable sources of labor. It’s pushing Congress for immigration reform, which includes streamlined guest worker program, because farmers in the US are hurting and production is lower due to lack of available labor. Robbins states that countries where hot peppers are popular and the labor force is plentiful have increased production. India especially, along with China, now far surpass chili production in the US or even in Mexico.
Read the full story here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=233472080
